SPORTS
India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni Wednesday had a special advice for his team mates who want to do something special for Sachin Tendulkar, who plays his 200th and farewell Test against the West Indies beginning here Thursday -- keep it simple.
"As far as the team is concerned, we'd like to keep it simple. That would be a big thing. Everyone wants to do something special, if we can keep it simple, that itself would be special. If someone does something simple when everyone else is trying special, that's good. We have a few things in our mind, but I think cricket is very important first and foremost. We're going to concentrate on it and enjoy it," said Dhoni on the eve of the match at the Wankhede Stadium.
Dhoni said it was important for Tendulkar to enjoy his swansong.
"I'd like him to enjoy, because you can't guarantee performance. Of course, you can say (hope he gets) a hundred, a double hundred, a triple hundred or 500, whatever. But at the end of the day the most important moment is that it is his last Test match. It's important that he enjoys this and hopefully gets us a few wickets ... You can get a bit of turn and bounce on this Mumbai wicket," said Dhoni.
Asked if there has been a change in Tendulkar's body language, Dhoni said: "His body language has been exactly the same as it was in the last match, or vs Australia (in the last Test series)."
With both the Indian cricket board and the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) planning their own felicitation ceremonies, Dhoni said the team was trying to stay focussed.
"As I said in the last match also we're treating it as normal as possible. Of course, there are plenty of things that are going around, so we've kept the focus and the drive. They're enjoying the moment, which I feel is the key, but at the same time we're focussed," he said.
Dhoni was also surprised with the hype surrounding the match.
"I think it's in the cricketing history ... this has never happened in the past, let alone the 8-10 years that I've been around," he said.
But he doesn't see hype as a distraction.
"It's too late to ask whether it's a distraction or not because whatever has happened has happened. I think it's a big part and parcel of the game. It's a big historic moment, and people are trying to do whatever they can, and we don't really mind that," said Dhoni.
The India captain said he was fortunate to play alongwith Tendulkar for 10 years.
"I never thought that I'd get to play with him, and if I've played eight-ten years with him, I'm very fortunate. He's guided the youngsters very well, showed them how to lead life after you become successful, and at the same time how you're supposed to prepare. So I think he's been fantastic and we've learnt a lot from him."
Dhoni also refused to disclose if he would allow Tendulkar to lead the side like he did five years ago during Sourav Ganguly's farewell Test.
"You'll have to wait and watch five days, I want you to concentrate," he said.
Paying rich tribute to Tendulkar, Dhoni said: "As far as Sachin is concerned, I would consider him as great because when it comes to Indian cricket, you're under the microscope throughout. It's not only the cricketing aspect; I think what's difficult is to handle things in India more than how to handle the success, the expectations of the people. We're expected to win each and every game, which is not possible.
"Yes, there are other greats, but there was one thing they didn't have to deal with, and that's the level of expectations. When you're doing well that itself puts pressure on you. But imagine when you're going through a lean patch, the expectations go up, they never come down."
Mukesh Ambani's SUPERHIT plan for Jio users, offers unlimited 5G access for 1 year for just Rs...
IND vs AUS 1st Test: KL Rahul's dismissal sparks DRS controversy in Perth Test
Dense fog, heavy rain predicted in these states till November 25; check here
Oreshnik Hypersonic Missile: Which nations are within its range?
Bihar teacher, principal reach school in drunken state; know what happened next
'I have faced a lot of...': Arjun Kapoor REVEALS his biggest fear amid break up with Malaika Arora
How millions of Indians may get affected due to US indictment of Gautam Adani in bribery case
Amid divorce rumours with Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan says 'missing someone is okay but...'
After Bibles, watches and sneakers, Donald Trump is now selling autographed guitars, price is...
Delhi pollution: Air quality improves to ‘very poor’ category, AQI at...
Vladimir Putin's BIG threat, warns he could strike UK with new ballistic missile if...
Shillong Teer Results TODAY November 22, 2024 Live Updates: Check winning numbers here
Somebody misbehaved with Alia Bhatt on Highway sets then Imtiaz Ali had to...
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal reveals twist behind Rs 200000 job fee, closes application window
Days after Ratan Tata's demise, Tata Group's Rs 131000 crore company inks pact with ADB for...
WATCH: Woman makes Biryani with Parle-G biscuits, viral video fumes internet
Only train in India in which passengers can travel for FREE; check route, timings and more
'Justice for biryani': Parle-G biryani takes internet by storm, video goes viral
DNA TV Show: Why Gautam Adani charged with bribery and fraud in US
IND vs AUS: Records Virat Kohli can break during Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Diljit Dosanjh fans get angry over Ananya Panday's birthday post for her grandmother, here's why
Reddit suffers outage with ‘upstream connect error’ message, says 'currently investigating...'
Border-Gavaskar Trophy: How has Jasprit Bumrah fared in Tests in Australia?
Delhi records coldest night of the season, temp drops to...
Crossing the Line: Ukraine's Use of Storm Shadow Missiles and the Escalation of Conflict
When Malaika Arora talked about the controversial ‘instant pleasure’ ad, it was for…
This is the world’s most expensive shopping street, not Fifth Avenue, New Bond Street, it is...
Big setback for Gautam Adani, Kenya cancels Rs 6216 crore deal with Adani Group due to...
Viral video: Man’s jugaad to stay warm in winter will leave you SHOCKED, watch here
Hinduja Group firm gets key approval for acquisition of Anil Ambani's debt-ridden Reliance Capital
Viral video: Middle-Class man lives dream of having tea at Taj Hotel, netizens applauds
Shloka Mehta looks stunning in white floral kurta as she clicked with Akash Ambani, it costs Rs....
Who is Sagar Adani, Gautam Adani's nephew, accused of bribery, fraud charges in US?
PayPal down: Several users face issue while logging into accounts, say 'no one could...'
IND vs AUS: Jasprit Bumrah, Pat Cummins eye historic captaincy milestone in Perth Test
BGT 2024, Ind vs Aus: Can Shubhman Gill be the new Cheteshwar Pujara? Is he really ready?
The Ultimate Guide to Luxury Gifting: Discover Heirloom Pashmina by Pashmina.com
Effortless Relocations: The Perks Of Professional Removalists In Melbourne
Watch: Pakistan fan with 'Imran Khan' poster asked to leave Hobart stadium in Australia
International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant against Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu for...
What is demisexuality? Everything you need to know about this lesser-known sexual orientation
WATCH: World’s shortest woman meets world’s tallest woman, video goes viral
IND vs AUS 1st Test: Predicted playing XIs, Perth weather forecast and pitch report
IND vs AUS: When will Rohit Sharma join India squad? Check latest update
'Scam 2024': Diljit Dosanjh lookalike pranks people on Pune streets, video goes viral
Delhi Air Pollution: Centre announces staggered work timings for govt employees; check details
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio loses nearly 80 lakh subscribers in just 30 days, BSNL adds...
IND vs AUS, 1st Test Dream11 prediction: Fantasy cricket tips for India vs Australia match
This country has most expensive passport in world, not US, UK, UAE, it costs Rs...
Amitabh Bachchan opens up on Aishwarya Rai-Abhishek Bachchan divorce rumours
Amid rising air pollution, Delhi-NCR's crematorium records cleanest air; check AQI here
Revolutionising Medical Imaging: Venudhar Rao Hajari’s impact on healthcare technology
Abhishek Gupta and Onevision Media: Scaling brands on social media
Video shows Korean girl eating jalebi for first time, her reaction to Indian sweet goes viral
Cristiano Ronaldo confirms THIS YouTube star as his next guest, says, 'Will break Internet'
Delhi Assembly Elections: AAP releases first list of 11 candidates for 2025 polls
Adani Group's FIRST REACTION after US indicts Gautam Adani in alleged bribery case